Join the campaign to change albany

New Beginning, New Vision, New Albany

Issues

Valerie Faust is committed to bringing about powerful social change in the city of Albany. She is prepared to fight for her vision of a new Albany. She comes to the table with innovative ideas and a desire to include a diverse chorus of voices.

Her Platform of Issues Includes:

Education Reform

With the city of Albany experiencing high dropout rates in minority groups, Valerie Faust will draw on her background as an educator and community leader to keep kids in school and off the streets.

Having seen the difference a quality education can make, Faust knows that keeping kids in school is the first step towards a safer city. "If we educate our children, they will be much more likely to find safe and meaningful jobs."

Taxes

Taxes are steadily increased, but Faust asks, "why has the city continued to spend more than we take in?"  A 60% increase in our operating budget over the last 10 years is too high - it's way over the rate of inflation. We need to spend wiser, borrow less and stabilize our taxes so we can eventually decrease them. We need to avidly look for other funding streams, be fiscally responsible, and weed out waste and special interest spending.

Housing Reform

Valerie Faust sees tremendous opportunity in the vacant homes scattered throughout Albany's neighborhoods. Today, they are ugly eye sores that brings a neighborhood down. But, Faust believes that they can be used constructively to build up the City's workforce.

"We'll use these homes to provide practical job training while improving both the visual appeal of the city and the lives of its residents," Says Faust.  Training in construction and home repair jobs can teach valuable skills to non-violent ex-offenders and unemployed inner city residents who want to secure long-term employment.  When we decrease the public assistance rolls, we can increase income to the city.  Everyone wins!

Albany has so many pressing problems that we can only hope to chip away at them as we work together and devise ways to solve our many problems.  It will take time, patience, unified team work and innovative thinking to get the job done.

eterminorking Together Toward Common Goals

Throughout her career, Valerie Faust has learned how to work within a team for positive change. With strong ties to the educational system and community organizations, Faust believes in accomplishing her vision through cooperation and hard work.

Ready and eager to work hand in hand with established Albany organizations, activists, and citizens, Faust is a leader who knows how to listen and move to implementation of great ideas..